Social Science Program Specialist

We're Looking for a skilled Social Science Program Specialist in the Veterans Health Administration based in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Read through the job description to see if it matches your current experience.

The Successful Applicant

To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 11/08/2023. TimeInGrade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet timeingrade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS05. For a GS09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS07.The grade may have been in any occupation but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF50 that shows your timeingrade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF50 has an effective date within the past year it may not clearly demonstrate you possess oneyear timeingrade as required by the announcement. In this instance you must provide an additional SF50 that clearly demonstrates oneyear timeingrade. Note: TimeInGrade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:Basic Requirements. Successfully completed a full four (4) year course of study at an accredited college or university leading to a bachelors degree or higher with a major study in behavioral science social science or related disciplines appropriate to this position. The number of semester hours required to constitute a major field of study is the amount specified by the college or university attended. If this number cannot be obtained 24 semester hours will be considered as equivalent to a major field of study. OR Combination of education and experience that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. OR Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. In addition to these Basic Requirements applicants must also meet the grade level requirements for this position: GS7 Requirements One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS5 level in the Federal Service that equips me with the particular knowledge skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. Specialized experience may includes: working in a whole health or wellness coach program that included providing interventions that promote health and wellness enhance wellbeing and improve quality of life. Examples of specialized experience include assisting in determining patient goals assessing patient progress adjusting plans as necessary etc. This experience must be detailed in your resume to receive credit. OR Successfully completed one (1) full year of progressively higherlevel graduate education leading to a masters degree or masters or equivalent graduate degree in a related field of the position to be filled. Education at the graduate level must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR I possess an equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience as described above to meet the total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge skills and abilities necessary to do to the work of this position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Experience must be clearly indicated in your resume. GS9 Requirements One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS7 level in the Federal Service that equips me with the particular knowledge skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. Specialized experience may includes: reviewing supporting material to determine compliance with regulations and policy requirements assists in planning and implementing program(s) within a medical center setting using creativity to engage employees and community partners in a newly developed program developing training materials for staff educational needs and experience using a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods for the assessment and improvement of program effectiveness. OR Successfully completed two (2) full years of progressively higherlevel graduate education leading to a masters degree or masters or equivalent graduate degree in a related field of the position to be filled. Education at the graduate level must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR Possess an equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience as described above to meet the total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge skills and abilities necessary to do to the work of this position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Experience must be clearly indicated in your resume You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Communication Data Management Leadership Technical Competence Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g. Peace Corps AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g. professional philanthropic religions spiritual community student social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies knowledge and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 3540 hours of work per week. Parttime experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: Regular and recurring work is mostly sedentary involving sitting at a desk although the position requires the ability to move from one geographic location of the facility to another. Some physical effort such as standing walking bending or prolonged sitting may be required. The work places no special physical demands on the employee. For more information on these qualification standards please visit the United States Office of Personnel Managements website at https://www.opm.gov/policydataoversight/classificationqualifications/generalschedulequalificationstandards/.

What’s on Offer

The role offers excellent opportunities for top performers to further develop their competencies as a social worker and improving the lives of people.